Neil Warnock Admits He Wanted to Sign Salomon Rondon Before Newcastle Summer Swoop

​Cardiff travel to Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, and manager Neil Warnock has revealed he would have liked to sign one of the Newcastle players who will line up against his side. 

Warnock was a big admirer of Venezuelan striker Salomon Rondon, and tried to sign him before he ended up making a loan move from West Brom. Rondon has gone on to score five goals in 16 appearances for Newcastle this season.

​Cardiff recently completed the signing of Oumar Niasse on loan from ​Everton, but Warnock admitted that he would've like to have added Rondon to his forward line. “Yeah, I would have liked him,” Warnock said (as reported by ​The Independent). "But it was not to be. They are a wonderful club and their number nines are a great tradition, all the way back to Jackie Milburn and Malcolm Macdonald." 

“Football is the life and soul up there. It’s what they live for, the fans. They get frustrated but they also get behind you and then it’s wonderful. But we hope to cause them a few problems.”

Cardiff are the third lowest scorers in the Premier League with just 19 goals - three more than ​Newcastle. As well as Niasse, the club are working on a deal for Nantes' Emiliano Sala, who is close to completing a £15m move to the club. Full-back Callum Paterson has been deployed as an emergency striker all season, showing the lack of depth Warnock posses up top.

“We just need more numbers and options because we can’t be left with poor old Patter again. We had to get strikers in and if I had the choice of a midfield player or a striker, I would go for the striker.”